Flores – Educ 1301 - Spring 2022

My Philosophy Statement on Education

I believe there is so much more to children than just their academics. Which is why I
believe that in order to truly be an effective teacher, you must be willing to connect with
students through more than just instructional practices. Children aren’t just numbers.
There are living beings that are constantly evolving and there are so many factors that
go into creating the package we see when we look at them. I believe we are doing
students a disservice when we marginalize their potential by only exposing them to
things that are comfortable to them. As an educator, I plan to support my students
through a myriad of different experiences:
• Teach my students how to be critical thinkers and problem solvers
• Exposing students to “real-world” scenarios
• Identifying how are differences can make us similar
I have heard administrators say “the person that is doing the talking, is the person doing
the learning”. I truly believe this. I believe when students have the opportunity to
engage in conversation, it allows them to use their own creativity to productively
struggle to reach a conclusion based on what they believe with guidance from the
teacher. While working in an educational setting, I have had the chance to see many
different teaching styles and I believe the most powerful and impactful teaching was
when teachers allowed students to talk and figure things out and when students were
given the opportunity to apply their learning to real world experiences. An example of
this would be when I was assisting a 5th grade science class and the lesson was on
inherited traits vs. learned behaviors. The students were having a good time learning
the lesson. But the amazing part was the real-life connection that came near the close
of the lesson. The students were invited to go on a field trip to an interactive aquarium.
Some of the exact same animals they discussed in class, they were actually able to see
in real life. Many of the ideas the students had about the animals were able to either be
refined and reinforced through what they were able to see in real life. The students
were able to make connections from their learning from the textbooks to the actual
aquarium.
Connecting textbook learning to actual real-life experiences is important.
Students learn in so many different ways, I think it is essential to present learning to
 Flores – Educ 1301 - Spring 2022

them in a variety of ways. Aligning my belief with progressivism gives students multiple
ways to interact with the learning. Students learn, visually, auditorily, kinesthetically,
tactile and many other ways. By adding an element where students are seemingly able
to reach out and touch the learning, gives it more meaning to them.
The experience itself is not enough however. I believe that teachers must be
able to envelope students learning by incorporating culturally relevant teaching and
social components to all lessons. Textbook and instructional materials are very vague
in nature and sometimes do not completely capture the interest of minority, language
learners, or culturally diverse students. A good teacher will be able to make
connections to the learning that extend far beyond the reach of what is presented in
textbooks. I strive to be a teacher who can use my personal experiences to my
advantage. I believe there is power in stories and when students are able to connect
with their teacher, a whole new world of opportunity opens up. I wish to allow my
students equity of voice in the classroom, coupled with a hands-on approach to as
many things as possible. I want to be able to enhance the lessons I teach with current
issues and cater it to the audience I am teaching.
I want to be the teacher, I always wanted to have as a student. I want my
students to have someone who understands that learning can look different for each
student. I want to give them a chance to experience the world through touch. I am so
excited about the possibilities.